As a paid up member of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, I am encouraged by the flocks enlisted to appear in Mr Hitchcock's film and the publicity thereby given to the plight of our feathered friends.
I am sometimes surprised to encounter people who have an irrational fear of birds, my mother was never very keen on them, but she was partially cured of that aversion by exposure to a yellow budgie we had when I was a kid. She came to be quite fond of him in the end.
I do like stories with happy endings and despite the menace of those massed Californian birds in the film fortunately they did not have the flu and as I recall the humans survive the whole avian nightmare in the end.
And the girl star was Tippi Hedren . Yes Hitchcock was a strange dry little man with a great sense of his own self importance but he made some great movies. I think my favourite is probably North by Northwest. He was British of course although he did accept American citizenship later in life.
Thank you AA. I'm sure the R.S.P.B does good work.
Since birds are are closest modern counterparts to dinosaurs perhaps you're mother was feeling a sense of discomfort hidden in the recesses of the mammalian parts of our human brains. I myself am not altogether comfortable in their presence.
Yes, thankfully the recent outbreaks of avian bird flu in Asia have not yet been spread by human to human contact, as yet--and indeed this film ends about as happily as circumstances could reasonably permit.
"NBYNW" is my my favorite film of his as well, Jeff. The American citizenship Hitchcock took out many writers have thought nearly cost him a British knighthood. His finally got his honors in the last year of his life. Some Britishers were apparently not happy that he left for America as the war in Europe began in 1939, although he did return across the Atlantic to make a couple short propaganda films in 1944 or so.
The term "strange dry little man" rings true to what I've read about Hitchcock. Several of those who worked with him echoed that, particularly female actors. Apparently his infatuation with Miss Hedren made working for him rather difficult for her.
I love birds but then New Zealand is the land of birds. Before I saw the Hitchcock film "The Birds" on telly I had read the original Daphne du Maurier story "The Birds" which I believe Hithcock's film is based on. Loved this clip and I now realise that I must have seen the movie on a black and white telly, that it was in colour was such a surprise lol.
I imagine New Zealand has some amazing species of birds found only on those islands. Besides the Kiwi of course, which--no matter the variety of bird-- sensibly doesn't fly about in flocks making trouble and disturbing nice people's courtship plans ;-)
I've not read any of du Maurier's stories or novels (more's the pity) but I know Hitchcock also had great respect for her, having previously filmed two of her novels, "Jamaica Inn" (1939) and most famously "Rebecca" (1940), which was a major best-seller and his first American film.
I wouldn't be surprised if his wife, Alma, hadn't read the story and recommended it to him. As it was, he never went ahead with any film projects unless she approved of the script or story. Times being what they were, Mrs H. never really got the credit she deserved back then for shaping and adapting her husband's work.
Many of the so-called "classic movies" I first saw were on my little 12-inch black and white television I had in my teens. One advantage to that way of viewing is that if the movie isn't very good, the viewer won't be won over by fancy sets, scenery or taken in by the false romantic visions engendered by the color of the stars' eyes :-)
Oh yes, Jamaica Inn and Rebecca were once two of my favourite books, Daphne du Maurier really was an amazing writer. I don't think I ever saw Hitchcocks versions of those however, I did see a much more recent made for telly version of Rebecca with Edwina Fox as the nameless second wife.
You make a good point there btw, it is indeed hard to imagine shy retiring Kiwis flying about making trouble (for one thing they do not fly) and I am sure they would never be messing up anyones' plans. However you haven't met Kea yet...
I never knew that about Mrs H. I suppose that proves the old adage that behind every good man there's a hard-working, long suffering and incredibly patient woman lol
I can't say that "Jamaica Inn" is a great film by any stretch, but I think if you liked the "Rebecca" novel, Iri Ani, you'd enjoy his film version with Laurence Olivier and Joan Fontaine. There is also a BBC version I saw a few years ago with Charles Dance as Max DeWinter and the marlvelous Dame Diana Rigg as Miss Danvers which was rather good, if not as errie as the original film. Note: Hold on!--I just check the 1997 movie out and I think we're talking about the same film :-)
Kea--whomever she or he is--sounds like "trouble in a can". I knew kiwis couldn't fly, but I confess that was only because of a NZ Tourism campaign commerical series that ran over here when "That Other Country" was getting a lot of Americans flying over to see their big rocks or over-expansive deserts or three-legged duck-billed creatures or what ever it is Americans went over to see there.
What you say is true about Alma Hitchcock. In her days (the 20s and 30s), film production in England and America was set up so a woman no matter how talented could never rise above the position of scenario writer or script person and NEVER become a director. (There was a couple exceptions to this in America, but hardly worth noting.) Her husband did pay tribute to her in later years, but he was the one everyone looked to (and he looked to her taste and judgement.) I've often wondered if an Alma Hitchcock film might have dazzled the critics just as well as a "Mr. Hitch" film did.
Excellent introduction to a wonderful film Doug.
ReplyDeleteAs a paid up member of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, I am encouraged by the flocks enlisted to appear in Mr Hitchcock's film and the publicity thereby given to the plight of our feathered friends.
I am sometimes surprised to encounter people who have an irrational fear of birds, my mother was never very keen on them, but she was partially cured of that aversion by exposure to a yellow budgie we had when I was a kid. She came to be quite fond of him in the end.
I do like stories with happy endings and despite the menace of those massed Californian birds in the film fortunately they did not have the flu and as I recall the humans survive the whole avian nightmare in the end.
Great clip Doug thanks for posting it.
And the girl star was Tippi Hedren . Yes Hitchcock was a strange dry little man with a great sense of his own self importance but he made some great movies. I think my favourite is probably North by Northwest. He was British of course although he did accept American citizenship later in life.
ReplyDeleteThank you AA. I'm sure the R.S.P.B does good work.
ReplyDeleteSince birds are are closest modern counterparts to dinosaurs perhaps you're mother was feeling a sense of discomfort hidden in the recesses of the mammalian parts of our human brains. I myself am not altogether comfortable in their presence.
Yes, thankfully the recent outbreaks of avian bird flu in Asia have not yet been spread by human to human contact, as yet--and indeed this film ends about as happily as circumstances could reasonably permit.
"NBYNW" is my my favorite film of his as well, Jeff. The American citizenship Hitchcock took out many writers have thought nearly cost him a British knighthood. His finally got his honors in the last year of his life.
ReplyDeleteSome Britishers were apparently not happy that he left for America as the war in Europe began in 1939, although he did return across the Atlantic to make a couple short propaganda films in 1944 or so.
The term "strange dry little man" rings true to what I've read about Hitchcock. Several of those who worked with him echoed that, particularly female actors. Apparently his infatuation with Miss Hedren made working for him rather difficult for her.
I love birds but then New Zealand is the land of birds. Before I saw the Hitchcock film "The Birds" on telly I had read the original Daphne du Maurier story "The Birds" which I believe Hithcock's film is based on. Loved this clip and I now realise that I must have seen the movie on a black and white telly, that it was in colour was such a surprise lol.
ReplyDeleteI imagine New Zealand has some amazing species of birds found only on those islands. Besides the Kiwi of course, which--no matter the variety of bird-- sensibly doesn't fly about in flocks making trouble and disturbing nice people's courtship plans ;-)
ReplyDeleteI've not read any of du Maurier's stories or novels (more's the pity) but I know Hitchcock also had great respect for her, having previously filmed two of her novels, "Jamaica Inn" (1939) and most famously "Rebecca" (1940), which was a major best-seller and his first American film.
I wouldn't be surprised if his wife, Alma, hadn't read the story and recommended it to him. As it was, he never went ahead with any film projects unless she approved of the script or story. Times being what they were, Mrs H. never really got the credit she deserved back then for shaping and adapting her husband's work.
Many of the so-called "classic movies" I first saw were on my little 12-inch black and white television I had in my teens. One advantage to that way of viewing is that if the movie isn't very good, the viewer won't be won over by fancy sets, scenery or taken in by the false romantic visions engendered by the color of the stars' eyes :-)
Oh yes, Jamaica Inn and Rebecca were once two of my favourite books, Daphne du Maurier really was an amazing writer. I don't think I ever saw Hitchcocks versions of those however, I did see a much more recent made for telly version of Rebecca with Edwina Fox as the nameless second wife.
ReplyDeleteYou make a good point there btw, it is indeed hard to imagine shy retiring Kiwis flying about making trouble (for one thing they do not fly) and I am sure they would never be messing up anyones' plans. However you haven't met Kea yet...
I never knew that about Mrs H. I suppose that proves the old adage that behind every good man there's a hard-working, long suffering and incredibly patient woman lol
I can't say that "Jamaica Inn" is a great film by any stretch, but I think if you liked the "Rebecca" novel, Iri Ani, you'd enjoy his film version with Laurence Olivier and Joan Fontaine. There is also a BBC version I saw a few years ago with Charles Dance as Max DeWinter and the marlvelous Dame Diana Rigg as Miss Danvers which was rather good, if not as errie as the original film. Note: Hold on!--I just check the 1997 movie out and I think we're talking about the same film :-)
ReplyDeleteKea--whomever she or he is--sounds like "trouble in a can". I knew kiwis couldn't fly, but I confess that was only because of a NZ Tourism campaign commerical series that ran over here when "That Other Country" was getting a lot of Americans flying over to see their big rocks or over-expansive deserts or three-legged duck-billed creatures or what ever it is Americans went over to see there.
What you say is true about Alma Hitchcock. In her days (the 20s and 30s), film production in England and America was set up so a woman no matter how talented could never rise above the position of scenario writer or script person and NEVER become a director. (There was a couple exceptions to this in America, but hardly worth noting.) Her husband did pay tribute to her in later years, but he was the one everyone looked to (and he looked to her taste and judgement.) I've often wondered if an Alma Hitchcock film might have dazzled the critics just as well as a "Mr. Hitch" film did.